How to Calculate GPA

Complete step-by-step guide to calculating your GPA manually, with formulas and real examples.

GPA Calculation Formula

GPA = Total Grade Points ÷ Total Credit Hours

Grade Points = Grade Point Value × Credit Hours for each course

Step-by-Step GPA Calculation

Step 1: Assign Grade Points

Convert each letter grade to grade points:

  • • A / A+ = 4.0
  • • A- = 3.7
  • • B+ = 3.3
  • • B = 3.0
  • • B- = 2.7
  • • C+ = 2.3
  • • C = 2.0
  • • D = 1.0
  • • F = 0.0

Step 2: Multiply by Credit Hours

For each course, multiply the grade points by the credit hours to get quality points.

Quality Points = Grade Points × Credit Hours

Step 3: Add All Quality Points

Sum up all the quality points from all your courses.

Step 4: Add All Credit Hours

Sum up all credit hours from all your courses.

Step 5: Divide to Get GPA

Divide total quality points by total credit hours.

GPA = Total Quality Points ÷ Total Credit Hours

Example GPA Calculation

Sample Semester Courses:

CourseCreditsGradePointsQuality Pts
Calculus4A4.016.0
English3B+3.39.9
Chemistry4B3.012.0
History3A-3.711.1
TOTALS14--49.0

GPA = 49.0 ÷ 14 = 3.5

Calculating Cumulative GPA

To calculate cumulative GPA across multiple semesters:

  1. Calculate total quality points from ALL semesters
  2. Calculate total credit hours from ALL semesters
  3. Divide total quality points by total credit hours

Quick Method for Cumulative GPA:

New Cumulative GPA = (Current GPA × Current Credits + New Semester Points) ÷ (Current Credits + New Credits)

Weighted GPA Calculation

For weighted GPA (AP, IB, Honors classes), add 1.0 to the grade points:

  • A in AP class = 5.0 (instead of 4.0)
  • B in Honors class = 4.0 (instead of 3.0)
  • C in IB class = 3.0 (instead of 2.0)

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